Micromosaics are mosaics made of very tiny tiles
originally called smalti filati (meaning spun
enamel in Italian) and now referred to as
microtesserae. Works of art were often produced
with microtesserae so small that 1,400 of the
tiny tiles fit into each square inch. Micromosaic
production was at its peak during the nineteenth
century in Rome but died out as miniature glass
mosaics became more popular towards the end
of the century. Micromosaics, considered a fine
art in Europe, were used to reproduce important
paintings in order to preserve the works of art in
a form that would not deteriorate over time.
They were also used in jewelry, on small boxes
and tabletops, and for small portraits. Skilled
craftsmen and ingenious technicians developed
the materials that made the art form possible.
The Classical Revival was a phenomenon that
swept through Europe in the 18th and 19th
Centuries. A new appreciation for antiquity and
ancient art forms was fostered by discoveries in
the nascent scientific field of archaeology.
Perhaps the Classical Revival also reveals a latent
longing towards the Arcadian lifestyles of
yesterday abandoned as Europe became rapidly
industrialized and increasingly urbanized. A
butterfly flutters against a black background in
this gorgeous ring. The hue of the gold ring
complements the bright red and golden wings of
the butterfly. Technology merged with antiquity
to produce the unbelievably intricate art form of
micromosaics, a harmonious marriage between
the beauty of the past and the possibilities of the
modernity.
- (FJ.6642)
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